BioScience Trends. 2012;6(3):112-122. (DOI: 10.5582/ddt.2012.v6.3.112)

Monoamine oxidases in major depressive disorder and alcoholism.

Duncan J, Johnson S, Ou XM


SUMMARY

Monoamine oxidases play an integral role in brain function. Both monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) regulate neurochemistry by degrading monoamine neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine). Any alteration in MAO levels can have devastating effects on the brain and behavior by lowering or raising neurotransmitter levels and producing toxic reactive oxygen species. In this review article, MAO is examined in terms of function and genetic organization, with special focus on recent discoveries related to the transcriptional regulation of MAO. In recent studies, transcriptional regulation involves a repressor protein, R1, for MAO-A and an activator protein, KLF11 (a Kr


KEYWORDS: Monoamine oxidase, major depressive disorder, alcohol dependence, chronic stress, gene transcription, transcription factor, Kr

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